title: A multidisciplinary approach to chest pain evaluation and management.
abstract: Chest pain evaluation centers in emergency departments efficiently exclude acute myocardial infarctions but are limited in identifying patients with acute cardiac ischemia (ACI) without infarction. Short-term prognosis is similar for patients discharged with ACI and for those who had an infarction. Subsequently, for suspected ACI, cardiology or primary care is consulted, providing follow-up coronary angiography or stress testing, but often requiring repeat labwork and resulting in significant time delays. A coordinated approach to chest pain management--an early multidisciplinary effort--provides an efficient and cost-effective approach to chest pain evaluation and management, while reducing potentially dangerous delays in identifying ACI.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland Medical Center, Division of Emergency Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Browne
mesh_terms: D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration